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Who is the person that works out that it will cost the economy one billion pounds in missed work hours because of today's England game? Did they sit down with a calculator wearing a nightgown in the dim light of a candle and really come up with that figure? Is it the same person who calculates that it costs 200 grand to bring up a child? That person deeply worries me.

I'm reading "Riddley Walker" by Russell Hoban. - just incredible. Never heard of the writer or the book until it was recommended to me a few days ago. It's very hard to stumble on something fantastic anymore without it being recommended by someone first... It's a shame that we rarely trust our instincts and pick things up for the hell of it. I suppose because so often the result is disappointing. Maybe that's why I never sold too many records.

I'm working on a pitch for a show I'm working on - and have just written this...  - putting budget together for a 23 min pilot, breaking down into 5 x 4 min chapters and celebrity artist interview for new Virgin cross-media multi-platform event, with possible follow-on tv pick-up... - Which makes me sound like a complete tosser. How did that happen? Play Cole, Gerard to the side serving Rooney, James in the sticks. 3 nil half time.

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Win, Lose and Draw

Have I just read something in the news about Israel proclaiming to have stopped beating its wife...?

Meanwhile the footballing elite are complaining that their new ball is a bit too round. Apparently it doesn't go where they kick it - unlike their previous ball which always went exactly as intended, hence a perfect record of goalscoring and goalkeeping from every shot?! The new football was developed using the finest technology in Loughborough. Taking the complaint to its natural conclusion, shouldn't we now ban any further use of technology as it's only going to cock everything up?

In a few hours time I'm sure that England will have found a way to score a few goals with their new ball, and save a few more at the other end. And then all will be fine and dandy with the world - for a day or two at least.

Meanwhile Palestine is hoping for a draw...

TRAFIK

Bad experience on tube. Riding the long escalator upto Tottenham Court Road last night, I noticed the man stood in front of me had terrible dandruff. As the wind blew down into the subway I actually had to take a breath and close my eyes to avoid the torrent of flaky skin coming my way. It rained down. 30 seconds of psoriasorial fallout. I can feel an episode of Seinfeld coming on...

Fantastic free track available here from Lenny's very good friend's the brilliant [and global] TRAFIK... Love their new album. Ah, If only I was 10 years younger....  http://www.mixmag.net/content/free-track-download-global-undergrounds-trafik

Hayfever's kicked in with a vengeance today. On the plus side I'm very pleased to have found a particular pen I've been looking for over the last few months but it's leaked badly and now there's ink everywhere... I'm about to go into a work meeting to pitch a couple of ideas, but with blue fingers and a runny nose I suddenly look like I'm twelve.

4oDisaster

Oh no... I watched an ep of big brother on 4oD and now I want to see more... Why did I do it!? Isn't it supposed to be the first drop that kills you...

Good meeting last night with west end producer about writing a new musical. Had my fingers burnt with that before but even so, im somewhere between excited and extrememly wary.

Off onto town again tonight with free tickets for a show for research, wearing a particularly good Lenny shirt. And cufflinks. I was never this stylish when I was 20... Actually, I was, it's just that noone realised it at the time.

My arias from my elbow...

Im really enjoying the diving competitions in South Africa. Did Ronaldo learn his football skills from Jacques Cousteau? So far I have managed to avoid any Big Brother since the first episode.

Meeting a West End producer tonight about writing the music for their musical. Does it matter that I don't know my arias from my elbow?

Been listening to a fantastic six hour documentary about Bowie on 6 Music. But it concluded 10 years ago with Bowie having just fallen out with his amazing, inspirational producer Tony Visconti... Everyone loves a happy ending.

World Cup vs Big Brother

Back from 2 weeks away. Didn't take my phone - loved the isolation.

Anything happened while I was gone? Footballing crises, serial killers on the loose, kind of thing...?

England footballers have been offered a bonus of £360,000 if they win the world cup. Can't it just be for the glory? Is that not enough - just the will to win it? Couldn't that money be promised instead to help create new pitches for kids to play football?

To watch or not to watch? Do I give into the last ever Big Brother, or simply resist? So far I've submitted - but there's no way I'm going to keep that up along with the football.

In true Nick Hornby style, I just came up with my top 5 singles of all time. XTC - Making Plans For Nigel, Bowie - Ashes To Ashes, Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime, Crowded House - Weather With You, Badly Drawn Boy - Once Around The Block.

So what happened to the last 10 years? Having said that, the Mumford & Sons album is heart-wrenchingly glorious...